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Sunday, November 27, 2011

13 months

Here is what is going on with Noah this month according to babycenter.com;

The range of ages when it's considered normal to begin walking is broader with this gross motor skill than with any other. Almost all infants are able to lift their head, for instance, between 2 and 4 months. But a child who walks as early as 9 months or as late as 18 months is right on schedule.

Don't be surprised this week if your child's budding mobility — whether she's crawling, cruising, or walking — means she's suddenly reluctant to be held or carried. Once your baby has had a taste of freedom, it will be hard to hold her back. (Outings to the grocery store or shopping mall, and traveling, may be particularly trying for you right now!) Try not to get too upset when she falls, and resist the urge to rush to her aid unless she's really hurt. Falling is an inevitable part of learning to walk. Cruising and walking on uneven surfaces, even subtle ones such as wrinkled carpet or a sand-filled play area, will likely trip her up for a time, but it's great practice. Just be patient and give your child safe places to test her new independence.

Your baby will likely find it hilarious if you can play at having more trouble with walking than she does: Try developing a little comic routine in which you are walking along where she can see you and then — whoops! — you trip and almost fall. It builds children's confidence to see a big person having their difficulty in a theatrical fashion that lets them laugh about it. As long as it keeps getting a laugh, keep doing it, and your child will become a more and more confident walker.

If you haven't already, be sure to install a safety gate on any staircase with more than a step or two. A hardware-mounted gate is the best choice for stairs since a determined toddler can dislodge many pressure-mounted gates.

You don't need to rush out and buy shoes right away. Walking barefoot, on grass or sand, is actually good for a toddler because it helps build muscles in the lower legs while developing a sense of balance. Once your child is able and wants to walk in places where she might injure her feet, however, you'll need to put shoes on her. But you don't need to invest in a pair of shoes that costs as much as yours do. Since her shoes probably won't fit for very long, buying pricey pairs is a waste of money. Instead, look for canvas sneakers or soft leather shoes with flexible rubber soles. Never buy shoes that are a couple of sizes too big so your toddler can grow into them; she'll have trouble keeping her balance in them and she may trip. She should have about a half-inch of space between her big toe and the end of the shoe; if you can't feel her big toe, the shoe is too hard.

Noah is 13 months old today.

His vocabulary is continuing to grow. He says "do" for dog, "at" for eat, monkey, car, light, duck, truck, up, mama, dada, walk, "ado" for all done, "mine" (usually while clutching something to his chest, an awful habit he learned from the other little boy that I watch), and a few other words. He can also make animal sounds for dogs, ducks, monkeys, and sheep.

Noah is growing up to be quite an independent little boy. He loves to play with Luke (the boy I watch), and he loves to play with adults, but he also will often take a book or toy and go tuck himself in a corner so that he can play alone.

He continues to be a very open minded eater. I have yet to ever see this kid get full and stop eating. He will eat everything we give him, and then beg for our food when he is done. His favorites are still cheese, bananas, and pasta. He loves cooked carrots and sweet potatoes. He doesn't seem to mind spicy food at all. Recently I was eating spicy curried cabbage, and he was constantly begging for bite after bite until it was gone.

Noah is a very observant little boy. He hears every single little sound. I hardly ever notice the sound of planes, but Noah always hears them and points to the sky. Same with dogs barking. He picks up on it all.